| DECEMBER, 2005 - VOLUME 13 NO.12 |
January
6—Burmese troops attack a Karenni National Progressive Party base camp near the border with Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. Although no casualties are reported, the KNPP claims 50 artillery shells were fired at the camp, with a further 10 landing in Thai territory.
8—UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan visits tsunami-hit Sri Lanka two weeks after the killer wave strikes the region, describing the scene as “utter destruction mile after mile.” Meanwhile, the death toll in Indonesia—the country hit hardest by the disaster—rises to more than 100,000.
11—The Burmese army launches an assault on the Karen National Union 201st Battalion’s Kalaw Waw camp, near the Thai province of Tak, during Karen New Year celebrations. Thai security officials say 10 Burmese soldiers died in the clashes, and at least six KNU soldiers were injured.
17—Malaysian police halt demonstrations and arrest more than 150 Burmese nationals in front of the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The demonstrators were protesting alleged human rights abuses in Burma’s Chin State, and are charged with holding an illegal gathering without authorization.
21—Lt-Col Bo Win Tun, 42, a military aide to the junta’s second in command, Deputy Snr-Gen Maung Aye, dies “on duty.” The government gives no official account of the incident, despite rumors that he was killed protecting his boss.
24—Several members of, or associated with, former prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt’s powerful military intelligence operation, are tried in Rangoon’s Insein prison. Defendants face charges that include corruption, possession of illegal foreign currency and abuse of power.
A US court charges suspected Wa drugs kingpin Wei Hsueh-Kang and seven fugitive members of his gang with masterminding one of the world’s largest heroin trafficking operations from eastern Burma. The US Drug Enforcement Agency also places a US $2 million bounty on Wei’s head, alleging that his operation has smuggled more than a ton of heroin, with a street value of $1 billion, into the US since 1985.
February
6—Thailand’s prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, wins a second term in office. Following the resounding poll success of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party, the opposition Democrat leader Banyat Bantadtan announces his resignation.
9—The chairman and general-secretary of the Shan National League for Democracy, Hkun Htun Oo and Sai Nyunt Lwin, are arrested following a meeting of opposition and ethnic minority leaders in Shan State on February 7. Others arrested include 82-year-old Shan politician Shwe Ohn, and Maj-Gen Sao Hso Ten, the president of the Shan State Peace Council. They are later charged with treason.
16—The National League for Democracy expels 18 members, accusing them of disservice to party policy and position. A party statement identifies nine of the group as youth members and four as delegates elected in the 1990 parliamentary elections. Party spokesperson U Lwin says all can appeal when the next nationwide NLD assembly is held.
Indonesia and Malaysia come into conflict over disputed waters surrounding the Sipadan and Ligitan islands off the east coast of Borneo Island, in the South China Sea. Tension flares after Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas multinational Petronas makes an exploration deal with Anglo-Dutch petrochemicals giant Royal Dutch Shell. Both countries, in a show of strength, deploy warships and fighter planes to patrol the region.
17—The junta reconvenes the constitution-drafting National Convention in Nyaung Hnapin, Hmawbi Township, about 40 km from Rangoon. Some governments, including those of the US, Britain and Asean countries, as well as exiled groups, slam the assembly as lacking legitimacy by excluding representatives of Burma’s opposition and ethnic groups.
22—An International Labour Organization high-level delegation, led by former Australian governor-general Sir Ninian Stephen, arrives in Rangoon for a four-day official visit to evaluate the military junta’s commitment to stopping forced labor. The delegation, however, abandons the visit the following day as a planned meeting with junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe fails to materialize.
March
4—Singapore’s foreign affairs minister, George Yeo, speaks of Asean’s unhappiness with the Burmese military regime, which is due to chair the regional bloc in 2006. “Last year Asean countries took a firm position with the EU that Myanmar [Burma] could not be excluded from the Asean-Europe Meeting in Hanoi. We stood our ground and succeeded, but subsequent developments in Yangon [Rangoon] undermined our position,” the state-controlled Channel News Asia quotes Yeo as saying.
10—The European Union expresses its willingness to start a constructive but critical dialogue with the junta during the 15th Asean-EU ministerial meeting in Jakarta.
15—Bangkok assigns Kantathi Suphamongkhon as Thailand’s new foreign minister, with the outgoing Surakiart Sathirathai becoming deputy prime minister.
17—A small bomb goes off on a bus in eastern Rangoon, while a similar device is found and defused in the bus terminal. No casualties are reported.
18—The junta releases prominent student activist Ko Ko Gyi after nearly 14 years in jail. He joins more than 14,000 prisoners released since November 2004.
19—A small bomb explodes before dawn in a bathroom at the Panorama Hotel in Rangoon. There are no injuries.
25—The junta opens the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant, built with the help of Chinese technicians. The official opening ceremony of the 280-megawatt Paung Laung hydropower plant is attended by the junta’s second-ranking leader, Deputy Snr-Gen Maung Aye, and a senior official from China’s Yunnan province.
Late March—The junta’s second-ranking diplomat in Washington, Aung Lynn Htut, seeks political asylum in the United States. The government later declares his absconding “an act of betrayal to the state.”
30—One day after the cabinet approves compensation for families of 85 Muslims who died when Thai authorities cracked down on a protest in the southern district of Tak Bai last year, the Thai parliament opens a debate on continuing violence in the Muslim-dominated South. During the debate, which the government suggests is to focus on poverty as a root cause, the Democrat opposition accuses the government of taking a confrontational stance against the alleged separatists by deploying thousands of troops in the area.
April
6—The Manila-based Asian Development Bank predicts in its “Asian Development Outlook” report that an overall economic expansion of the region’s developing countries will grow 6.5 to 6.9 percent through 2007, despite the fact that it is struggling with high oil prices and the after-effects of December’s devastating tsunami.
11—Bangkok launches Thailand’s third “War on Drugs.” Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declares in a campaign launch speech that “as long as I am still the prime minister, I will not allow narcotic drugs to return.”
17—A group of elderly Shan leaders in exile, including Sao Surkhanpha—the eldest son of Burma’s first president, Sao Shwe Thaike—who lives in Canada, declares Shan State independence. The group claims that the declaration is made “by the will and in the name of all peoples of the Shan States.”
23—Snr-Gen Than Shwe meets UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the 50th anniversary Non-Aligned Movement summit in Bandung, Indonesia. Than Shwe uses the Asia-Africa forum to invite Annan to visit Burma.
26—A bomb explodes on the ground floor of Mandalay’s landmark Zay Cho Market, killing four and injuring 15. The junta blames exiled groups for the attack.
May
2—The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists reports that a total of 121 of the 190 journalists killed over the last five years were murdered in retaliation against their work. The Philippines has been rated as the most murderous country for journalists since 2000, followed by Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh and Russia.
7—Simultaneous bomb blasts at two supermarkets and a convention center in Rangoon exact an official toll of 11 killed and 162 injured, though many more deaths are estimated. The government again says exiled groups are responsible for the attack.
12—A small bomb explodes at a bridge near Latpan village in Burma’s Min Hla Township, Magwe Division. No injuries or damage are reported.
21—Two armed ethnic guerrilla groups, the Shan State Army (South) and Shan State National Army, form an alliance against the junta on the 47th anniversary of Shan Resistance Day at SSA’s headquarters at Doi Taileang on Burma’s eastern border. The SSNA, led by Col Sai Yi, has had a ceasefire agreement with the junta since 1995, but, after refusing recent calls to turn in its arms, abandoned its bases in northern Shan State when several members from the group were forced to surrender.
Late May—Six of Burma’s 12 military regional commanders are reassigned. Maj-Gen Khin Zaw is moved to the Central Command in Mandalay from Triangle Region Command, which is reassigned to Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing from the Western Command. Maj-Gen Khin Maung Myint takes over the Western Command, moving from the Eastern Command in Shan State, where Maj-Gen Ye Myint takes charge. Other moves see the commander of the Southwest Command in Irrawaddy Division, Maj-Gen Soe Naing, switch posts with Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung from Southeast Command in Mon State.
June
1—Rangoon appoints two new ambassadors. Win Myint becomes the new ambassador to Singapore, while Myint Aung is named ambassador to Malaysia.
6—US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly offers Thailand an undisclosed number of F-16 fighter jets, subject to an unspecified “special condition,” during a private talk with Thai Defense Minister Gen Thammarak Isarangura na Ayutthaya in Bangkok.
8—The junta postpones a ceremony for ‘Drug-Free’ Wa State scheduled for June 24. All invitations to diplomats, UN representatives and journalists are cancelled.
9—Rangoon transfers the ambassador to Brazil, Hla Myint, to Japan, while the ambassador to Japan, Saw Hla Min, is shifted to France. Another move sees the ambassador to Brunei, Thet Win, moved to Australia and Brig-Gen Myo Lwin assigned to South Korea.
13—Rangoon prepares for a special trial of former prime minister and spy chief Gen Khin Nyunt on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
25—Russia and China object to discussing Burma at the UN Security Council, although the issue, which is raised by the US ambassador to the UN Gerald Scott, was supported by several other members.
28—The Philippines’ president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is urged to step down after allegations of misconduct during her election campaign. She comes under intense pressure after admitting discussing last year’s vote count with an election official. She subsequently apologizes for “a lapse in judgment.”
Late June—Tin Win is appointed ambassador to Germany, while Than Tun becomes the regime’s representative in Rome.
July
5—An estimated 34,500 Buddhist teachers working in the Muslim-majority Thai provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat abandon the troubled area. Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik says “[they] are fearful and demoralized because at least 24 teachers have been killed during recent months.”
6—An estimated 400 prisoners, mostly political, are freed from several Burmese prisons. Although initial reports indicate that the renowned journalist, 75-year-old Win Tin, is among the released, he remains behind bars.
12—The trial of former Burmese prime minister, Gen Khin Nyunt, begins at Rangoon’s Insein prison. His two sons, Lt-Col Zaw Naing Oo and Dr Ye Naing Win, are also put on trial in Rangoon, facing 34 and 12 charges respectively.
15—A Chinese joint-venture consortium made up of the China International Trust, Investment Corporation Technology Company, Sinohydro Corporation and Burma’s Department of Hydroelectric Power, sign two contracts in Rangoon concerning the implementation of the Yeywa hydropower project, the largest in Burma.
19—Thailand’s cabinet empowers Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with a special decree to counter insurgency in three Muslim-dominated provinces in southern Thailand—Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. The new decree includes authorization for the detention of suspects without charge and blanket censorship of local media.
21—A special court in Rangoon’s Insein prison sentences former prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt to a 44-year suspended prison term on eight separate charges, including bribery and corruption.
24—A powerful earthquake hits India’s Nicobar Islands and parts of Indonesia, triggering panic in some areas and a tsunami warning in Thailand. No casualties are reported.
26—The junta defers chairmanship of the Asean regional bloc during its six-day summit in the Lao capital, Vientiane.
27—Rangoon appoints Ye Win as its new Burmese ambassador to Thailand, while Htein Win is named the new Burmese ambassador to Brazil.
August
2—Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announces a major cabinet reshuffle as corruption scandals plague his Thai Rak Thai government. Nearly half of the country’s 35 cabinet ministers lose their jobs, though most are given new cabinet posts.
4—Executive director of the World Food Programme, Jim Morris, meets with Burma’s Prime Minister Gen Soe Win, furthering speculation the visit may presage a trip by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Instead, the two discuss the junta’s curtailing of UN and aid organizations’ activities in Burma.
8—Privately-owned Myanmar Universal Bank is taken over by the state-run Myanma Economic Bank, with no explanation offered by the government. An unidentified major shareholder in the bank is arrested, leading to speculation it was forced to change hands following allegations of money laundering.
15—The Indonesian government and rebels from Aceh province sign a landmark peace agreement aimed at ending nearly 30 years of armed conflict.
19—Ali Alatas, former Indonesian diplomat and special envoy to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan meets junta supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Rangoon. He has an official mandate to address reforms within the world governing body that will have an impact on the way the UN operates within Burma.
Global Fund—a financial aid organization based in Geneva—announces it will end its involvement in Burma because of restrictions placed on international aid organizations. The decision means Burma will lose US $98.4 million to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis over the next five years
23—Burmese health officials urge Global Fund not to discontinue its funding, highlighting “the negative impact it will have on people in need.”
24—Rumors that the head of Burma’s military government, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, has been toppled are discredited by Burma watchers and diplomats in Rangoon. Reuters and the BBC report the rumors, which originated along the border in Thailand. However, sources in Rangoon later report the capital is stable, with military subordinates continuing to answer to the head of the junta.
25—The UN announces that Michelle Lee of China, a 31-year veteran of the UN and previously in charge of administrative support services for the UN genocide tribunal for Rwanda, will coordinate its efforts to help the Cambodian government put aging leaders of the Khmer Rouge on trial for genocide, following atrocities committed between 1975 and 1979.
31—The Philippine House Justice Committee quashes impeachment charges against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as opposition members stage a walkout in protest at the decision.
September
5—An Indonesian jetliner crashes seconds after taking off from the country’s third-largest city, Medan, killing 150 passengers.
6—Well-known former student leader Min Ko Naing—who spent 15 years in prison after the 1988 uprising—calls for the junta to remove restrictions on humanitarian organizations in Burma and for the international community to continue providing aid.
8—A report by the Asian Development Bank suggests the economic gap between the majority of countries in Asia and Burma is widening. Average growth for the region was forecast down to 5 percent, compared to previous estimates of less than 1 percent in Burma’s case.
9—Germany’s main foreign language television broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, signs a deal with the Burmese Ministry of Information to supply news and documentary programming for retransmission in Burma at no cost.
14—Head of the New Democratic Army-Kachin, Pang Wah, is otherthrown in a coup, which ultimately proves to be unsuccessful when, after only two weeks, his faction manages to regain control of the armed group.
19—Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra releases a joint statement with US President George W Bush following their meeting in Washington, which expresses “concern” for the situation in Burma. They agree to work together to promote national reconciliation in the country.
20— Former Czech President Vaclav Havel and Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu sanction a report calling for UN Security Council action on Burma, prompting a lengthy campaign by the country’s state press to refute charges the country’s problems are a cause for regional concern.
Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkon criticizes US policy on Burma, suggesting it is not practical to “isolate one of the world’s most isolated countries.”
26—Surakiart Sathirathai, one of Thailand’s seven deputy prime ministers, formally announces his eagerness to take over from Kofi Annan as secretary-general of the UN next year.
October
1—Bombs rip through popular tourist areas on the Indonesian island of Bali for the second time in three years. on a smaller scale than the explosions in October 2002, the blasts claim the lives of 22 people. Indonesian police claim Malaysian members of Jemaah Islamiyah are responsible.
12—The Open Net Institute—a collaboration of Harvard, Toronto and Cambridge universities—releases a new report suggesting internet censorship in Burma is worsening following the introduction of a new firewall produced by California-based IT company Fortinet.
18—London-based environmental watchdog Global Witness releases a report calling on China to stop importing illegal timber—mainly teak—from Burma in a bid to halt an already drastic decline in Burma’s forest cover.
Burma is ranked the third most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International.
20—Burma’s military government raises fuel prices eight-fold in a move later described as “reasonable” by Minister of Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan. The price hike comes on the back of already high inflation in Burma, as the kyat falls to a new low against the US dollar.
Head of the Rangoon Division military command Maj-Gen Myint Swe, a Than Shwe loyalist, is promoted to Lieutenant General, exactly one year after becoming intelligence services chief.
22—A small bomb explodes outside Traders Hotel in downtown Rangoon. No injuries or damage are reported.
28—The International Labour Organization releases a report stating Burma’s Ministry of Labor has indicated it plans to leave the Geneva-based workers’ body. The same document includes an example of the 21 death threats sent to the personal residence of Richard Horsey, the ILO’s chief representative in Rangoon.
30—Thailand’s ruling Thai Rak Thai party loses to the opposition in four provincial by-election races. The resulting claim by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that regions failing to vote for his party will receive lesser central government funding prompts an outcry by opposition parties and Thailand’s press.
31—Shan rights campaigner Charm Tong meets US President George W Bush in Washington.
November
1—The UN Office for Drugs and Crime announces a 26 percent drop in Burma’s opium production for 2005, but warns of an impending crisis if poppy farmers are not provided adequate alternative means of generating income.
Early November—A Rangoon court hands down lengthy sentences to ethnic Shan leaders charged with high treason—Sao Hso Ten gets 46 years and three life sentences, while Hkun Htun Oo received 53 years and two life sentences and Sai Nyunt Lwin 25 years and two life sentences. Following the sentencing, Hkun Htun Oo is sent to Putao Prison, Kachin State, while Sai Nyunt Lwin and Sao Hso Ten are transferred to Kalay and Hkamti prisons in Sagaing Division.
3—A study by the Asian Development Bank warns that bird flu could reduce economic growth in Asia from about 6 percent to zero, representing a US $283 billion loss in GDP.
Meanwhile, Thailand imposes martial law in two districts of Songkhla province following the army’s claim the areas are being used to stockpile weapons for the insurgency movement in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
6—Burma’s military government begins moving civil servants from a reported nine ministries from Rangoon to Pyinmana, effectively relocating Burma’s administrative capital nearly 400km to the north.
10—A report by the ILO, released during its tri-annual Governing Body meeting in Geneva, includes letters from world governments, many of which say the junta’s lack of progress on forced labor means action must be stepped up against Rangoon.
17—Asean leaders say they will continue to engage the Burmese military regime despite pressure and criticism by US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea.
23—The US State Department eases restrictions on arms sales to Indonesia as relations between the countries continue to warm. Washington had imposed a ban on military interaction with Jakarta over human rights concerns, mostly related to violence following East Timor’s vote for independence in 1999.
25—A dozen foreign diplomats and journalists join 400 supporters and members of the opposition National League for Democracy at its headquarters in Rangoon to mark Burma’s National Day.
27—Burmese police officers visit the home of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as her detention is reportedly extended for six more months.
29—French oil giant Total announces that a euro 5.2 million (US $6.12 million) out of court settlement has been reached in a dispute for its alleged role in human rights abuses in Burma.
30—US’s attempt to put Burma agenda at UN Security Council is forced to postpone upon complaints of some members among the 15 council members.